Photovoltaic output photocoupler for high voltage automotive MOSFETs
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Toshiba Electronics Europe has developed a photovoltaic output photocoupler with an enhanced open-circuit voltage for solid-state relay (SSR) applications in automotive.
The Toshiba TLX9910 photocoupler is suitable for gating high-voltage power MOSFETs that are commonly used in solid-state relays. This combination enables high-voltage, high-current switching, which is difficult to achieve with integrated photorelays.
The photovoltaic coupler is based upon photodiode arrays (PDA) so that the electrical energy is generated as a result of light from the input side LED. The coupler therefore serves its own power supply, eliminating the need for an external power source.
In recent years, automotive applications have become more challenging, requiring safer, compact, and maintenance-free solutions with long lifetimes. For this reason, SSRs are increasingly replacing traditional mechanical relays. The lack of physical contacts ensures reliability and silent operation in applications such as electric mobility.
Automotive battery management systems (BMS) require significant power handling capabilities within MOSFETs, and suitable devices tend to require a higher gate-drive voltage. Many existing photovoltaic couplers offer a limited choice of suitable MOSFETs due to their lower output voltage, requiring a workaround with two photovoltaic couplers connected in series.
The TLX9910 offers an open voltage (VOC) of 13.5V, nearly double that of existing devices to improve the choice of compatible MOSFETs without the need for a workaround in the design. Coupled with the self-powered design, this helps to reduce the component count, size, weight and cost of a design.
The TLX9910 is housed in a small surface-mount 4-pin SO6 package measuring 3.7mm × 7.0mm x 2.1mm. It is capable of operating at temperatures in the range -40°C to +125°C and offers 3750Vrms of isolation from input to output.
The new device is in mass production.
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